Relief valve for a drum



Dec. 4, 1962 C, L lsclANl 3,066,689

RELIEF VALVE FOR A DRUM Filed Oct. 2l, 1958 s-W; @Emu itx 4 6% UnitedStates Patent Giice 3,066,689 Patented Dec. 4, i952 3,@e6,69 REUEF VALVEFR A DRUM Constantine Lisciani, Chicago, ill., assigner to TheProtectoseai Company, Chicago, 1li., a corporation oi illinois FiledGet. 21, 1953, Ser. No. '768,752 9 Claims. (Cl. 137-73) The inventionrelates generally to drum iittings and the like and more particularly toa venting iitting therefor. Drums for inflammable fluids and the likeoften are utilized with the drum sitting on its side and having a valveor spigot in one end adjacent the bottom thereof. Such drums usually areprovided with a vent opening which often is also in the end of the drumadjacent the top thereof in diametrical opposition to the spigot. Thevent opening is normally closed by a suitable cap or plug screwed intothe bung fitting forming such opening and when liquid is to be withdrawnfrom the tank the operator unscrews the plug to a point which willpermit air to enter the tank and thus prevent the drum from beingair-locked. Often the liquid level in the drum when the latter iscompletely filled is such that when the drum is tipped on its side theliquid level will be above the bottom of the vent opening, in which caseupon unscrewing the plug or cap, leakage would ensue. in such cases,however, the liquid level Will normally fall somewhere Within the ventopening rather than extend above the same, so that suitable ventingmeans can be applied thereto.

The present invention contemplates the production of a drum fitting foruse in venting a drum under such conditions, wherein the fitting may beapplied tightly to the drum end and provided with means for venting thedrum both as to internal pressure as well as breaking the vacuum whenliquids are withdrawn therefrom.

Another object of the invention is the production of such a fittinghaving adequate iire protection and which may also be provided withemergency venting means of a size to insure sufficient venting in caseof fire or the like to prevent bursting of the drum.

A further object of the invention is the production of such a drum ttingWhich is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufactureand very eiiicient for the purposes intended.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown anddescribed will be obvious to those skilled in the art from thedisclosure herein given.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like orcorresponding parts:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a drum fitting embodying the presentinvention taken approximately on the line 1 1 of FIG. 2; v

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of a drum structure with thedrum fitting mounted thereon.

The present invention contemplates the production of a drum fittingwhich is so designed that it may be readily inserted into the tting onthe drum, with a venting opening positioned above the bung iitting ofthe drum whereby adequate venting may take place Without leakage orspillage even though the liquid level within the drum is up into thebung iitting thereof.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FlG. 1, the reference numeral1 indicates a drum iitting having a body portion 2 from which extends atubular extension 3 having external threads 4 thereon adapted to engagethe threads of the bung fitting 5 which is operatively connected to theend wall 6 of a drum 7. The body member 2 is provided with an annularliange 8 adjacent the portion 3 which is adapted to be engaged by theface 9 of a gasket member 11 which encircles the portion 3 and has itsopposite face 12 engaging the adjacent face 13 of the bung fitting 5. Asillustrated in FIG. l, the gasket member 1l may be of generally X-shapein cross section, the various -faces of the gasket being concave toprovide a high degree of compression in the gasket member.

Extending outwardly from the face 14 of the fitting is an extension 15having a tubular portion lr6 extending upwardly from the top thereofwhich is provided with external threads i7 thereon adapted to receive aninternally threaded cap member 18, the portion 16 being provided with abore 1.9 therein operatively connected with the interior 2i of the4fitting by a bore or passageway 22. The bore 19 is also provided with adischarge or vent opening 23 through which vapor may be discharged fromthe passageway 22 and interior of the drum to the exterior thereof. Theportion 15 of the fitting is also provided with a bore 24 operativelycommunicating with the interior 21 and the exterior of the iitting, thebore 2d normally being closed by a plug 25 adapted to seat on an annularflange 26 and secured in position in the counterbore 27 by suitablematerial 25a which will fuse at a relatively low temperature, permittingthe plug to be blown out upon the build up of pressure in the tank andproviding an additional relatively large vent opening in an emergency.

The passageway 22 is normally closed by a valve member 28 having a stern29 extending through the cap 1S and provided at its upper free end witha knob 31. The valve member 28 is urged into a sealing or closingposition by suitable means such as a compression spring 32 positioned inthe bore i9 in concentric arrangement with respect to the stem Z9, oneend of the spring engaging the adjacent surface of the valve member 28and the opposite upper end engaging the inner face of the cap i8. Thusnormal pressure relief may be obtained through the passageway 22 andportion 23 whenever the pressurev within the drum exceeds the forceexerted upon the valve member 28 by the spring 32, and in like mannerthe point at which the vent will be opened may be readily varied byvarying the characteristics of the spring. Normally the spring will beso designed that venting will occur at approximately five pounds.

When it is desired to break a vacuum in the drum, as for example, whenliquid is to be drawn from the drum, such vacuum breaking may be readilyaccomplished by moving the valve member 23 oft of its seat whereby airmay liow into the drum. Suitable means may be provided to retain thevalve member in open position when desired, such means comprising a pin33 carried by the knob 31 and extending toward the cap 18 insubstantially parallel relation with respect to the Stem 29. The pin 33is adapted to normally be positioned in a recess 34 in the cap 18, the:recess being of sufficient depth to permit the valve member 28 to fullyseat in a closed position. However, when desired' to maintain the valvein open position, the latter may be raised by means of a knob 3l and bypartially rotating the knob, the pin 33 will engage the upper face ofthe cap 18, preventing the valve member from returning to a closedposition and maintaining the same in venting relation.

To provide adequate iire protection at all times, the Ventingpassageways may be suitably screened with a iire baffle or screen, asfor example, the screen 35, illustrated as a more or less conical shapedmember having a relatively large end 36 and a smaller end 37. The innerend 37 is adapted to seat in a complementa] recess 38, while the outerend is clamped in operative position by a Suitable iiange or beading 39,beingintegrally formed from the body member and rolled over a fiange 4l`formed on the outer end 36 of the screen. The latter is, of course,provided with a plurality of small perforations 42 which are too smallto support combustion from one side of the screen to the other and thusprevent any possibility of ignition of the contents of the drum throughthe vent opening.

In use the fitting is applied to the drum by screwing the same into thebung opening, in the case of a full drum, with the end face of the drumto which the fitting is applied being uppermost. The fitting is screwedinto the bung hole to a point where adequate compression of the gasketmember 1l takes place to provide an adequate seal between the fittingand the bung hole, the gasket member 11 having suiiiciently resiliencyto permit the fitting to be turned with the portion 16 uppermost, asillustrated in FIG. 2, following which the drum may be tipped on itsside.

Pressure venting of the drum will take place automatically in the mannerheretofore described in the event the pressure reaches the predeterminedamount.

During normal storage periods the knob 31 will be positioned with pin 33positioned as illustrated in FIG. 1, seated in the recess 34, therebypermitting the valve memI ber to close on its seat and seal the druminterior. In the event pressure inside the drum increases beyond thatdetermined by the spring 32, the valve member 28 will be moved upwardlyunder such pressure, permitting the escape of vapor until the pressurewithin the tank drops to the predetermined level as established by thespring 32. When liquid is to be withdrawn from the drum, the operatormerely grasps the knob 3l, lifting the same upwardly in opposition tothe spring 32 and gives the knob a slight twist to rotate the pin 33 outof alignment with the recess 34, so that upon release of the knob thepin 33 will engage the top of the cap 18, preventing the valve frommoving downwardly into its normal sealing position and thereby openingthe passageway from the exterior into the drum and permitting air toenter the drum as liquid is withdrawn.

ln the event of an external lire adjacent the drum, whereby heat isapplied to the drum, resulting in an increase in internal pressure, thevalve 28 will open in the manner heretofore described, permitting thedischarge f vapor from the tank. However, if the heat applied to thedrum reaches a temperature which would increase the pressure within thedrum to a degree that the automatic venting structure cannot handle thevolume of vapor and thus reduce the internal pressure in the tanksufficiently to prevent bursting, such undesirable temperature will fusethe material a, thus permitting the internal pressure to blow out theplug 25 and thus provide adequate venting of the tank to preventbursting thereof. At the same time, ignition of the liquid within thedrum is prevented by the screen 35, the perforations of which providesuflicient area to facilitate adequate venting of the drum under allconditions which could be normally expected.

It will be noted that I have provided a drum fitting which is relativelyvery simple in construction and yet very eicient for `the purposesintended, providing pressure relief as well as vacuum breaking duringwithdrawal of liquid from the tank and in the event of an emergency anincreased amount of venting to eliminate any danger of bursting of thedrum, both normal and emergency vent openings being protected by asuitable fire screen.

Having thus described my invention it will be obvious that variousimmaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement andcombination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An air vent device comprising a hollow body member including an openended externally threaded portion engaging the threads of acomplementally formed bung fitting, gasket means complementally formedto said threaded portion and mounted thereon for sealing the connectionbetween said air vent device and said bung fitting, said hollow bodymember having an air vent opening therein operatively communicating withthe interior of the hollow body member and operatively opening on theexterior thereof at a point radially spaced from the axis of thethreaded portion, normally closed valve means for operatively closingsaid air vent opening, a bore including a valve seat contiguous to saidair vent opening and operatively connecting the interior of the hollowbody member to said air vent opening, manual opening means operativelyassociated with said valve means for manually opening said valve means,said valve means including a valve member complementally formed to saidvalve seat and operative to close said bore and seal the bung fittinginterior, said manual opening means including a Valve stem connected tosaid valve member, a cap member closing the outer end of said bore andthrough which said valve stern extends, a compression spring positionedin said bore and bearing on said 'valve member and said cap memberoperative to urge said valve member in a closing direction, an actuatingknob connected to the free end of said valve stem including meansextending toward said cap member and said cap member complementallyformed to said last-mentioned means and operative to engage a portion ofthe cap member and retain said valve member in an open position and saidcap member complementally formed to receive said last-mentioned meanswhereby said valve member may assume a closed posi tion, said manualopening means operatively arranged to allow independent opening of thevalve means by predetermined iiuid pressure in said body interior withsaid air vent device operatively connected to said bung fitting.

2. An air vent device comprising a hollow body member including an openended externally threaded portion engaging the threads of acomplementally formed bung fitting, gasket means complementally formedto said threaded portion and mounted thereon for sealing the connectionbetween said air vent device and said bung fitting, said hollow bodymember having an air vent opening therein operatively communicating withthe interior of the hollow body member and operatively opening on theexterior thereof at a point radially spaced from the axis of thethreaded portion, said gasket sealing means cornprising anannular-shaped gasket member having suicient compressibility to permitrotation of the air vent device after threaded engagement thereof withsaid bung iitting in tight sealing relation with respect thereto, toposition said air vent opening at maximum height with respect to theaxis of said threaded portion, normally closed valve means foroperatively closing said air vent opening, a bore including a valve seatcontiguous to said air vent opening and operatively connecting theinterior of the hollow body member to said air vent opening, manualopening means operatively associated with said valve means for manuallyopening said valve means, said valve means including a valve membercomplementally formed to said valve seat and operative to close saidbore and seal the bung fitting interior, said manual opening meansincluding a valve stern connected to said valve member, a cap memberclosing the outer end of said bore and through which said valve stemextends, a compression spring positioned in said bore and bearing onsaid valve member and said cap operative to urge said valve member in aclosing direction, an actuating knob connected to the free end of saidvalve stem including means extending toward said cap member and said capmember complementally formed to said last-mentioned means and operativeto engage a portion of the cap member and retain said valve member in anopen position and Said cap member complementally formed to receive saidlastementioned means whereby said valve member may assume a closedposition, and said manual opening means operatively arranged to allowindependent opening of the valve means by predetermined uid pressure insaid body interior with said air vent device operatively connected tosaid bung fitting.

3. An air vent device comprising a hollow body member including an openended externally threaded portion engaging the threads of acomplementally formed bung tting, -gasket means complementally formed tosaid threaded portion and mounted thereon for sealing the connectionbetween said air vent device and said bung fitting, said hollow bodymember having an air vent opening therein operatively communicating withthe interior of the hollow body member and operatively opening on theexterior thereof at a point radially spaced from the axis of thethreaded portion, normally closed valve means for operatively closingsaid air vent opening, a bore including a valve seat contiguous to saidair vent opening and operatively connecting the interior of the hollowbody member to said air vent opening, said normally closed valve meansincluding a compression spring operatively biasing said valve means inclosed position, manual opening means operatively associated with saidvalve means for manually opening said valve means, said valve meansincluding a valve member complementally formed to said valve seat andoperative to close said bore and seal the bung iitting interior, saidmanual opening means including a valve stern connected to said valvemember, a cap member closing the outer end of said bore and throughwhich said valve stem extends, said compression spring positioned insaid bore and bearing on said valve member and said cap member operativeto urge said valve member in a closing direction, an actuating knobconnected to the free end of said valve stem including means extendingtoward said cap member `and said cap member complementally formed tosaid last-mentioned means and operative to engage a portion of the capmember and retain said valve member in an open position and said capmember complementally formed to receive said last-mentioned meanswhereby said valve member may assume a closed position, said manualopening means operatively ararnged to allow independentopening of thevalve means by predetermined fluid pressure in said body interior withsaid air vent device operatively connected to said bung fitting.

4. An air vent device comprising a hollow body member including an openended externally threaded portion engaging the threads of a bung tting,said body member including an annular llange adjacent the inner end ofthe threaded portion and receiving a gasket member constructed forcompression between said annular ange and the adjacent face of said bungfitting to form a seal therebetween, a radial extension integrallyformed with said body member and having a bore therein, said body memberhaving a passageway therein operatively connecting the body interiorwith said bore, said radial extension including a tubular portion havinga vent opening therein radially spaced from the axis of said threadedportion operatively connecting said bore with the fitting exterior, avalve seat in said bore and cooperative with a valve member tooperatively close said passageway and seal the tting interior, 'a valvestem connected to said valve member and extending outwardly from saidextension, a cap member closing the outer end of said bore and throughwhich said valve stem extends, a compression spring positioned in saidbore and bearing on said valve member and said cap operative to urgesaid valve member in a closing direction, an actuating knob connected tothe free end of said valve stem and having a pin extending therefromtoward said cap member, said pin being operative to engage a portion ofthe cap member and retain said valve member in an open position, saidcap member having a recess in the upper face thereof adapted to receivesaid pin whereby said valve member may assume a closed position.

5. An air vent device as defined in claim 4, wherein said gasket memberreceived on said body member adjacent said ange has opposed bearingfaces concave in transverse cross-section to provide suicientcompressibility therein to permit rotation of said hollow body member tosaid air vent device for disposing said tubular portion of said radialextension in an upwardly extending direction to position said ventopening at maximum height with respect to the axis of the threadedportion.

6. An air vent device comprising a hollow body member including an openended externally threaded portion engaging the threads of a bung tting,said body member including an annular flange adjacent the inner end ofthe threaded portion and receiving a gasket member constructed forcompression between said annular iiange and the adjacent face of saidbung fitting to form a seal therebetween, la radial extension integrallyformed with said body member and having a bore therein, said body memberhaving a passageway therein operatively connecting the body interiorwith said bore, said radial extension having a vent opening thereinradially spaced from the axis of said threaded portion and operativelyconnecting said bore with the exterior of the air vent device and withthe open ended portion, a valve seat in said bore and cooperative with avalve member to operatively close said passageway and seal the interiorof said lair vent de vice, a valve stem connected to said valve memberand extending outwardly from said extension, a cap member closing theouter end of said bore and through which said valve stem extends, acompression spring positioned in said bore and bearing on said valvemember and said cap member operative to urge said valve member in aclosing direction, an actuating knob connected to the free end of saidvalve stem and having a pin extending therefrom towards said cap member,said pin being operative to engage a portion of the cap member andretain said valve member in an open position, said cap member having arecess in the upper face thereof adapted to receive said pin wherebysaid valve member may assume a closed position, and a cone-shapedperforated re protective screen substantially completely disposed withinthe body member and having the end of larger diameter secured in sealingrelation to the body member adjacent the open end of the threadedportion and the end of smaller diameter engaged with a portion of thebody member to operatively extend between said open end of the bodymember and said passageway.

7. An air vent device as defined in claim. 6, wherein said body memberhas an opening therein of greater area than that of the vent opening,for providing pressure relief, a closure member for said opening, andsaid closure member being secured to the body member to seal saidopening with a material which will fuse in the event of tire upon theyapplication of a predetermined amount of heat thereto to release saidclosure member.

8. An air vent device comprising a hollow body member including an openended externally threaded portion engaging the threads of acomplementally formed bung fitting, gasket means complementally formedto said threaded portion and mounted thereon for sealing the connectionbetween said air vent device and said bung fitting, a tubular radialextension integrally formed with said hollow body member and having abore therein, `said bore of said tubular radial extension beingperpendicular to the axis of said open ended externally threaded portionand extending beyond the radius of the threaded portion, said hollowbody member having a passageway therein operatively connecting theinterior of the hollow body member with said bore, said tubular radialextension having an alr Vent opening in the periphery thereof .andoperatively communicating through said bore and said passageway with theinterior of the hollow body member and operatively opening on theexterior thereof at a point radially spaced from the axis of thethreaded portion, the axis of said air vent opening being in a planeincluding the axis of the tubular radial extension and 4also beingperpendicular to the axis of the tubular radial extension, said air ventopening of said tubular radial extension radially disposedJ from theaxis of said threaded portion ay distance greater than the radiusof saidthreaded portionto positionsa'idf air vent openingatrnaximum height withrespect to theaxisfot thethr'e'aded portionpon the vair vent devicebeing'operativelyassembled.'to'said bung iitting ofthe drum,normallyclosed valve means' 'for` operatively'closing vsaid air ventopening'and the upper end of said bore of s aid tubular radialextension, said'air vent opening being contiguous to said normallycl'sedy valve means Vopera-v tively rnounted lat the upper end of saidbore of said tubular radial extension, said vseatv of said normally"closed valve means formed at the upper end of said bore of said tubularradial extension and positioned above the radius of the'open endedIexternally threaded portion, and manual opening means operativelyassociated With said valve means for manually opening said valve means,said manual opening means operatively arranged to allow independentopening of'thevalvemeans by predetermined uid pressure in said tbodyinterior with said' air vent device operatively connected to said bungfitting.

9,. An air ventdevice comprising a hollow body member including an openendedexternally threaded portion engaging a complementally formedthreaded opening of a Ebung 'tting, said hollow body member including anannular il'ang'e adjacent the inner end of the threaded portion, atubular radial extension integrally formed with said hollow body memberand having a' bore therein,said bore of said tubularv radial extensionbeing perpendicular to the axis of said open ended externally threadedportion and extending Ibeyond the radius of the threaded portion, saidhollow body member having a passageway therein operatively connectingthe body interior withv said bore, said tubular radial extension havinga vent opening therein radially spaced from the axis 4of said threadedportion and operatively connecting said bore with the exterior ofpletely disposed within the hollow body member and havthe air ventdevice, the axis of said'air `vent opening being in a plane includingthe axis of the tubular radial extension :and'also being perpendicularto the'axis of the tubular radial extension, a valve seat at the upperend of said bore and cooperative with a valve member toI operativelyclose said passageway and seal the interior of said air vent device,said air ventopening being contiguous to said valve member'operativelymounted upon the valve seat in yits normally closed position, said valveseat positioned above ing the end of larger diameter secured in sealingrelation to the hollow body member adjacent the open end of the threadedportion and the end of smaller diameter engaged with a portion of thehollow body member to operatively extend between said open end of thehollow bodyv member and said passageway providing an enlarged annularpassage formed by the perforated re protective screen operatively'connected to said passageway ofy the hollow body mem'ber and the boreof the tubular radial extension through said cone-shaped perforated direprotective screen.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS802,934 Keys Oct. 24, 1905 999,829 MeNutt'-' Aug. 8, 1911 1,162,153Gensheimer Nov. 3.0, 1915 1,433,129 Franssen` Y Oct. 24, 1922 1,626,721Cohn';I May 3, 1927 1,935,815 Nov. 21, 1933 2,001,686 Moore May 14, 19352,302,029 Hulsmann Nov. 17, 1942 2,493,644 Rider` Jan. f3, 195,02,621,677 Curtis Dec. 16,1952 2,661,016v Leler Dec. 1, 1953 2,760,826Allenbaugh Aug. 28, 1956l 2,841,175 For-d '.l July '1, 1958 2,884,004Dierdorf Apr. 28, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,821 Great Britain Aug. 22,1895 315,882 Italy Mar. 1Q, 1,934 1,125,604 France July 16, 1956

